There seems to be a new issue with Chrome displaying the tigameshelf.net site. Any screenshot with a capitalized .GIF extension does not display, whereas lower case .gif extensions display just fine. This is idiotic on the part of Google, and I have sent them feedback to that effect. There are no issues with the other browsers. Now I realize that it is technically bad form to make extensions capitalized, but this was done automatically by the antiquated graphics program I was using (PhotoFinish 3.0). I am moving over to Gimp now.
I will do a search and replace on all the site files as soon as I have my main computer set up again. I was hit by a nasty virus last night which wiped out my entire drive except for a single line log with Chinese characters (the Chinese have a very strange sense of humor apparently). Luckily most of my vital data was backed up elsewhere, but I did lose all my Outlook folders and contacts, and with them all the files that people have sent me over the past 6 months to include on the site. If you have sent me a file previously, please resend it to me.

Well, I renamed all the graphics with the lower case .gif extension, but Chrome still is refusing to display them... This has been a problem only since the latest Chrome update. Anyone here has any suggestions?

Well, I renamed all the graphics with the lower case .gif extension, but Chrome still is refusing to display them... This has been a problem only since the latest Chrome update. Anyone here has any suggestions?

Maybe Chrome doesn't like the header. All of mine I have looked at in a hex editor start with "GIF89a". Maybe try running one of the files through The GIMP or some other graphics package and re-saving it to see whether Chrome likes that.

Maybe Chrome doesn't like the header. All of mine I have looked at in a hex editor start with "GIF89a". Maybe try running one of the files through The GIMP or some other graphics package and re-saving it to see whether Chrome likes that.

...lee

That's an option, although incredibly time consuming given the number of images on the site

Maybe Google is trying to kill .gif? Anyway, there are lots of bulk image processing programs out there that could convert the images to .png automatically. I can't imagine it would be that hard to find one and get the job done. I would bet the GIMP has a macro system that could do it. Irfanview can too:

There was a time when the format was not free and protected by patents (as explained in one of the links you provided). Open source developers dropped support for it and people making graphics started using jpg and png instead. Eventually the patents expired and the format was open, but the damage was done. Making a gif still gives me the shivers.

The patent issue ended up affecting only tools that created GIF, they allowed decoders royalty-free. But hey, we got PNG out of it!

I checked from here, using Chrome, and everything looked okay. This is version 27.0.1453.110 m on Windows, and it claims it's up to date. I also manually checked your server headers, and they looked okay. Try the old "delete your cache" maybe?

I still don't see many of the images after having cleared the cache multiple time. Using Chrome version 27.0.1453.116 m.E.g. if you open this link http://tigameshelf.n...ges/AGRESS2.gif you just get an empty tab.

The patent issue ended up affecting only tools that created GIF, they allowed decoders royalty-free. But hey, we got PNG out of it!

I checked from here, using Chrome, and everything looked okay. This is version 27.0.1453.110 m on Windows, and it claims it's up to date. I also manually checked your server headers, and they looked okay. Try the old "delete your cache" maybe?

I have the same version as you, Tursi, and mine won't show the image referenced below.

I still don't see many of the images after having cleared the cache multiple time. Using Chrome version 27.0.1453.116 m.E.g. if you open this link http://tigameshelf.n...ges/AGRESS2.gif you just get an empty tab.

I dragged the image into The GIMP ("GIF87a" signature) and immediately saved it. The GIMP gave it a "GIF89a" and it displayed just fine. Someone earlier mentioned batch converters. XnView also has a batch converter that might work.

Hmm.. I confirmed your results here, Lee. that image doesn't load for me, neither will some others. Chrome is not my usual browser, so I just opened a random page. Today I specifically looked at the assembly page, and I get screenshots from the top down to "Who's Behind the Mexican UFO's", and then the rest of the page has no images un Arcturus, then they all show except the last one, Living Tomb. Chrome seems able to save the unseen pics fine, which is interesting.

I can't seem to find anything relevant on Google about it. Lots of people complaining but no solid solutions. I wonder if it is as simple as 87a versus 89a format... it doesn't seem to be. Changing the AGRESS2.gif to an 89a didn't make it load, and the images that DO work for me are 87a as well.

Hmm.. I confirmed your results here, Lee. that image doesn't load for me, neither will some others. Chrome is not my usual browser, so I just opened a random page. Today I specifically looked at the assembly page, and I get screenshots from the top down to "Who's Behind the Mexican UFO's", and then the rest of the page has no images un Arcturus, then they all show except the last one, Living Tomb. Chrome seems able to save the unseen pics fine, which is interesting.

I can't seem to find anything relevant on Google about it. Lots of people complaining but no solid solutions. I wonder if it is as simple as 87a versus 89a format... it doesn't seem to be. Changing the AGRESS2.gif to an 89a didn't make it load, and the images that DO work for me are 87a as well.

Very strange issue!

I didn't mean to imply that changing the '7' to a '9' worked—I actually tried that and it didn't work. What did work was pumping it through The GIMP to save it back out, which changed the signature in the process. It must also have changed some other stuff in the header. I did not do a file comparison to see what changed besides the "GIF87a" to "GIF89a". I'll take a look, later.

I didn't mean to imply that changing the '7' to a '9' worked&mdash;I actually tried that and it didn't work. What did work was pumping it through The GIMP to save it back out, which changed the signature in the process. It must also have changed some other stuff in the header. I did not do a file comparison to see what changed besides the "GIF87a" to "GIF89a". I'll take a look, later....lee

I realize that.. I was just listing out what /I/ tried. There's very little difference between the 87 and 89 specs (89 mostly added animation, IIRC), so in most cases just changing the number from 87 to 89 will still result in a legal file. I did it as a quick test to see whether the loading library was being dumb somehow. Seems not to be the case though.

Following links on that page to Mozilla's notes sort of explains what happened.. they seem to be treating all GIFs as GIF89a regardless as to whether they are or not:

If we get anything other than GIF_IMAGE_SEPARATOR, GIF_EXTENSION_INTRODUCER, or GIF_TRAILER, there is extraneous databetween blocks. The GIF87a spec tells us to keep reading until we find an image separator, but GIF89a says such a file is corrupt. We follow GIF89a and bail out.

This matches the observations, and explains why resaving the file makes it work (because it will now be terminated in the GIF89a method).

They argue some in that thread that they had to do it, but IMO enforcing GIF89a standards on a file clearly marked as GIF87a is a bug, plain and simple. At least it will be addressed.

According to Google, if your GIF file predates the 1989 standard, it is Malformed.

Thank you for all your help here guys. Soooo, do I have to actually re-run all the images through a graphics package and save them as GIF89a's or is Google going to fix this issue with the next update?
I think for future updates I will save images in .png format Just to be clear though, why is png superior to gif?

"Portable Network Graphics (PNG) was designed as a replacement for the GIF format in order to avoid infringement of Unisys' patent on the LZW compression technique.[18] PNG offers better compression and more features than GIF,[28] animation being the only significant exception. PNG is more suitable than GIF in instances where true-color imaging and alpha transparency are required. MNG was originally developed as a PNG-based solution for animations, but has not been widely adopted. The GIF format is still preferred for animation over PNG, although true Animated Portable Network Graphics are under development by Mozilla and are supported in Firefox 3."

Thank you for all your help here guys. Soooo, do I have to actually re-run all the images through a graphics package and save them as GIF89a's or is Google going to fix this issue with the next update?

As said (on Chromium) it would be an easy fix to accept GIF87a again (was okay until 2013-05-02). There's been other problems with animated GIFs for much longer. I guess Chrome estimate the size and impact of problems and priorities accordingly. As a consequence, over time, some may update their images and some may change browser. Best and worst case, for you, Chrome updating tomorrow or never. Also Mozilla might change their mind about being strict with GIF89a. A new release of Chrome should come within a month (looking at the release history), if it's not fixed then, I would update the images.

Finally updated the site. If you had previously sent me a program for review and it's not posted, please resend it to me. I had total computer crash a few months ago and I lost the majority of my files.It's been a great year for games programming for the TI!